Glass building block unit



F. PENNELL 2,931,270

GLASS BUILDING BLOCK UNIT Original Filed June 27, 1949 April 1960 1 N, 3 rk. A

GLASS BUILDING BLOCK UNIT Ford Pennell, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor to Iane Booth Pennell, Webster Groves, Mo.

Original application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,535,

now Patent No. 2,714,816, dated August 9, 1955. Divided and this application February 3, 1955, Serial No. 489,713

6 Claims. (Cl. 88-60) The invention relates to building materials and more particularly to those used in translucent or transparent wall structures, such as blocks of glass, plastic and similar materials. This application is a division of a copending application, Serial No. 101,535, now Patent No. 2,714,816, filed June 27, 1949. p

One object of the invention is to block or materially reduce transmission of the direct light and heat rays of the sun, striking the block or wall, into a building, when the sun is well above the horizon and at the same time transmit into the building those rays which are reflected from the ground and surroundings of the building.

Another object is to pass substantially all the direct rays of the sun, striking the block or wall, into the building as the sun approaches the horizon.

The invention contemplates a building block, or a building wall or section thereof, which may include a plurality of building blocks, with upright exterior side faces. One of the side faces consists of corrugations substantially lengthwise and substantially parallel to the plane of the block base which is arranged to stably support the block and its load, so that when placed in a wall the corrugation extends substantially parallel to the horizon. The corrugation surfaces face generally away from the body of the block and generally toward the planes of the top face and base. These general objects may be attained by corrugations having planar or arcuate surfaces vertically of the block and in the application Serial No. 101,535, new Patent No. 2,714,816, from which the present application is divided, the arrangement of planar surfaces is described in detail and claimed. This application is directed to blocks with corrugations having surfaces which are arcuate, at least in part.

Those corrugation surfaces facing generally towards the plane of the top face, or at least the major portions thereof, are coated with a substancewhich prevents or materially reduces transmission'of the light andheat rays. Other corrugation surface portions facing generally toward the plane of the base are substantially translucent and permit rays scattered or reflected from the surroundings of the building to pass therethrough. The arrangement of the corrugations may be varied to blockand to pass desired quantities of direct rays and reflected rays through the wall structure, and the coating thereon may be such as to pass desired proportions of light and heat rays.

The above and other detailed objects of the invention, as will appear below, are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, which structure is intended to be illustrative and not exclusive of other arrangements providing the general inventive principle. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building block constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section, drawn to an enlarged scale, and taken approximately on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed vertical section, drawn to at United States Patent 2,931,270 Patented Apr. 5,- 196 ice enlarged scale of a portion of the right-hand face of the 7 building block shown in Figure 2.

. Figures 4-8 are vertical sections corresponding to the right-hand portion of Figure 2 and show other embodiments of the invention.

. Figure 9 is a diagrammatic showing of several other arrangements of the corrugated surfaces in the outer faces of. building blocks according to the invention.

. A building block constructed according to the invention, of glass, plastic or other transparent or translucent material, comprises an upright exterior front or side face 1, an upright exterior rear or side face 2, a top face 3, end faces 5 and 6, and a base or bottom face 4 upon which the block and its load may be stably supported. The block preferably is hollow and may be formed by uniting two separately molded units and fusing them together as indicated at 7. Top and bottom faces 3 and 4 and end faces 5 and 6 may be grooved, as shown, to receive mortar to bind the block to upper and lower blocks in building a wall structure. Top and bottom faces preferably are positioned in horizontal planes when the blocks are assembled to one another in building a wall. Front face 1 has corrugations with longitudinally straight surfaces extending substantially parallel to the planes of the top face 3 and base 4 and preferably, but not necessarily, from end face 5 to end face 6.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the portions of the corrugation surfaces facing generally downwardly toward the plane of base 4 are translucent so that they may transmit rays of light from the center or rays of light reflected from below or near the horizon. Portions 16 0f the corrugation surfaces face generally upwardly toward the plane of top face 3 and are treated to materially reduce transmission of rays of light from the center.

The translucent portion 15 of each corrugation extends downwardlyand inwardly in a quadrant of a circle. The treated surface 16 of each corrugation extends downwardly and outwardly in an arc of a circle of approximately 45 and terminates in a plane inclined at an angle of approximately 45 to the plane of the base.

The relative areas of translucent portions 15 and treated portions 16 are such that, when the sun is at an angle of approximately 45 or more above the horizon, portions 15 are shaded from direct rays of the sun by portions 16 and pass only the rays reflected or scattered from portions 16 or from surrounding objects.

Downwardly facing surfaces 15 are transparent or translucent and pass light and heat rays of the sun. Upwardly facing surfaces 16 are rendered substantially impervious to the rays of the sun by coating the surfaces with a light and heat reflecting or filtering substance. Surfaces 16 may be coated with a metallic mirror finish or a white enamel finish, which would reflect substantially all the light and heat rays, or the surfaces may be coated with a blue filtering glass finish, which would permit a substantial quantity of the light rays to pass but be at least partially impervious to the heat rays, or the surfaces may be coated with a black enamel finish which would absorb a substantial quantity of the heat rays and be impervious to the light rays. Preferably the coating be treated so that it becomes an integral part of the. building block.

Direct rays of the sun striking upwardly facing surfaces 16 are reflected, scattered or absorbed, depending upon the coating used. Downwardly facing surfaces 15 are immediately below the level of the outer extremities of the respective associated surfaces 16 and extend inwardly from such extremities so that a straight line inclined 45 from the vertical and passing by or just Hence, when the:

sun "is 45 or more above the horizon, surfaces are shaded from direct rays of the sun and pass only rays reflected or scattered from surfaces 16, or from surrounding objects. l V g When the sun is less than 45 above the horizon, the direct rays of the sun strike the downwardly facing translucent surfaces 15 and, as the sun approaches the horizon, increasing quantities'of the direct rays of the sun pass through the block. I

In Figure 4, front face ie has convex corrugation surfaces 17 facing generally downwardly and outwardly of the block toward the plane of base 42, and convex corrugation surfaces 18 facing generally upwardly and outwardly of the block toward the plane of top fa ce 3c. Each surface 17, 18 forms an arc of a circle. The upper and lower ends of surfaces 17 are inclined at angles of approximately 60 and 15, respectively, to the planes of top face 3e and base 46. The upper and lower ends of surfaces 13 are inclined at angles of approximately 30 and 70, respectively, to the planes of the top face and base. In other words, the tangents to the arcuate surfaces 18 vary from 60 to from a perpcndicular to the plane of the base.

Surfaces 17 are translucent and surfaces 18 are coated with a substance which blocks or materially reduces transmission of the suns rays and shade surfaces 17 from the direct rays of the sun, when the sun is 60 or more above the horizon, so that surfaces 17 pass only reflectecl or scattered rays.

In Figure 5 front face 1 has concave corrugation sur-' faces 19 facing generally downwardly and outwardly of the look toward the plane of base 4], and concave corrugation surfaces 20 facing generally upwardly and outwardly of the block toward the plane of top face 3 Each surface l? and 20 forms the arc of a circle. The upper and lower ends of surfaces 19 are inclined at angles of approximately 15 and 60, respectively, to the planes of the top face 3 and base 4). The upper and lower ends of surfaces 20 are inclined at angles of approximately 70 and 30, respectively, to the planes of the top face and base or between 20 and 60 from a perpendicular to the plane of the base. Surfaces '19 are translucent and surfaces 20 are coated with a substance substantially impervious to the rays of the sun and shade surfaces 19 from the direct rays of the :sun, when the sun is 45 or more above the horizon, -so that surfaces 19 pass only reflected or scattered rays.

In Figure 6 the corrugation surfaces in front face 1g are concave and semi-circular. The upper quadrant 21 of each corrugation surface faces generally downwardly and outwardly towards the plane of base 4g and is translucent. The lower quadrant 22 of each corrugation surface faces generally upwardly and outwardly towards the plane 'of the top face 3g and is substantially impervious to the suns rays. Portions 22 shade the translucent portions 21 from the direct rays of the sun, when the sun is at an angle of 45 or more above the horizon, so that portions 21 pass only reflected or scattered rays.

The arrangement shown in Figure 7 is substantially the same as the arrangement shown in Figure 6, except that each corrugation surface in front face 1h in Figure 7 is less than a semicircle. impervious portion 23 of eachcorrugation extends about 15 above the midpoint of the arc and shades the translucent portion 24 from the direct rays of the sun when the sun is at an angle of 45 or more above the horizon. The lower ends of .portions 23 and the upper ends of portions 24 are inclined at angles of approximately 25 to the planes of the top face 3h and base 411.

-In Figure '8 the corrugation surfaces in front face 1k are convex and semicircular. The upper quadrant 25 of each corrugation "surface faces generally upwardly and outwardly toward the plane of top face .3k. Quadrant 25 and the arc 25a adjacent thereto, extending approximately 20 below the midpoint ofthe arc, are impervious to the suns rays and the remaining lower portion 26 of the corrugation surface, facing generally downwardly and outwardly of the block toward the base 4k, is translucent. Portions 25, 25a shade translucent portions 26 from the direct rays of the sun when the sun is 70 or more above the horizon or less than 20 from a perpendicular to the plane of the base.

Figure 9 shows diagrammatically several other possible combinations of plane and arcuate corrugation surfaces. At A, each upwardly facing surface a is planar and is inclined at an angle of 45 to the plane of the base. Each downwardly facing surface a is concave and the upper end of each surface is inclined at an angle of 25 and the lower end of each surface is inclined at an angle of 70 to the plane of the base. At B, each upwardly facing surface 17 is concave and the upper end of the surface is inclined at an angle of 70 and the lower end ofthe surface is inclined at an angle of 25 to the plane of the base. Each downwardly facing surface b is planar and is inclined at an angle of 45 to the plane of the base. At C, each upwardly facing surface 0 is convex and the upper end of the surface is inclined at an angle of 25 and the lower end is inclined at an angle of 70 to the plane of the base or 20 from a perpendicular to the plane of the base. Each downwardly facing surface 0 is planar and is inclined at an angle of 45 to the plane of the base. At D, each upwardly facing surface a! is planar and is inclined at an angle of 45 to the plane of the base. Each downwardly facing surface d is convex and the upper end of the surface is inclined at an angle of 70 to the plane of the base'or 20 from a perpendicular to the plane of the base and the lower end of the surface is inclined at an angle of 25 to the plane of the base or 55 from a perpendicue lar to the plane of the base. Upwardly facing surfaces 12?, b 0 d are treated to materially reduce transmission of the rays of the sun. 7

The amount of light and heat from the direct and refiected rays of the sun which is permitted to pass through the Wall structure maybe controlled by the configuration and angular arrangement of the corrugations and by the nature of the coating on the upwardly facing surfaces. The smaller the angle between successive opposing corrugation surfaces on the exterior of the block, the more light will be reflected into the translucent downwardly facing surfaces. The smaller the angle between the downwardly facing translucent surfaces and the vertical, the higher the angle at which the suns rays will begin to pass through the downwardly facing translucent surfaces. 'The smaller the angle between the upwardly facing impervious surfaces and the vertical, the greater will be the proportion of impervious surfaces to translucent surfaces provided the angle between successive opposing surfaces is fixed, and the smaller will be the percentage of rays transmitted to the total rays striking the building block.

As explained above, the nature of the coating on the upwardly facing surfaces determines the relative quantities of direct light and heat rays passing through these surfaces.

The wall structure, when in the northern hemisphere and facing toward the south, will permit more direct rays of the sun to pass therethrough in the winter time when the warmth and light are needed, and to reflect and scatter more direct rays of the sun during thesummer to reduce glare and heat transmission.

The details of the invention described and illustrated may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. An integral hollow building block of translucent material .for abuil'ding wall, having an exterior top face, an exterior base upon which the block and its load-may be stably supported, and generally upright exterior side faces and end faces, one of said side faces having corrugations each running substantially parallel to the plane v being treated to materially reduce passage of the suns.

rays therethrough, and substantially all of the remaining portions of the surface of each corrugation facing generally outwardly of the block and generally downwardly toward the plane of said base and consisting of a translucent area providing for the passage of sun rays from the exterior of the block to the interior thereof and being positioned inwardly of the block from the outer extremity of a corrugation immediately above the translucent area, the projections of the corrugations and their vertical spacing from each other being such that a straight line inclined downwardly and inwardly of the block at an angle of less than 20 from a perpendicular to the plane of said base and contacting said outer extremity will strike a treated surface of the next lower corrugation, and that a straight line inclined upwardly and inwardly of the block from below the horizontal and contacting said outer extremity will strike a translucent area of the next higher corrugation.

2. An integral hollow building block of translucent material for a building wallaccordings to claim l, in which all of the corrugation surfaces are convex exteriorly of the corrugated side face and that portion of each corrugation above the horizontal is coated to intercept sun rays directed downwardly from the horizontal and prevent the passage of said rays by reflecting them outwardly of the block exterior face.

3. An integral hollow building block of translucent material for a building wall according to claim 1, in which all of the corrugation surfaces are concave exteriorly of the corrugated side face and that portion of each corrugation above the horizontal is coated to intercept sun rays directed downwardly froin the horizontal and prevent the passage of said rays by reflecting them outwardly of the block exterior face.

4. Structure as described in claim 1 in which the pottions of each corrugation surface facing toward the plane of the structure top face are substantially planar and are inclined at an angle between 25 and 70 to the plane of the top face and the portions of each corrugation surface facing toward the plane of the structure base are arcuate in vertical section.

5. Structure as described in claim 1, in which a vertical cross section through the corrugations shows each corrugation surface of concave arcuate contour with substantially the entire main portions of each corrugation surface inclined to the plane of the structure base at angles of between 25 and 70.

. 6. A block of glass-like material for a building wall,

having a body with an exterior top face, an exterior base upon which the block and its load may be stably supported, and upright exterior side faces, one of said side faces comprisinga plurality of corrugations each extending substantially straight across the block and substantially parallel to said base, each corrugation having arcuate surfaces facing generally away from the block body, substantially all portions of said surfaces facing in directions inclined at angles of between 25 to to the planes of said top face and base, the corrugation surfaces facing generally toward the plane of said base being light transmitting, and the corrugation surfaces facing generally toward the plane of said top face being coated to reduce the transmission of sun rays striking the exterior of the corrugation from above the horizontal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .D. 101,360 Holmes Sept. 29, 1936 D. 101,633 Hoge Oct. 20, 1936 721,259 Wadsworth Feb. 24, 1903 1,949,898 Cochrane et a1. Mar. 6, 1934 2,322,591 Rapp June 22, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 28, 1908 

